Algeria’s Gara Djebilet Mine Nears Launch, Signaling Strategic Shift in Economic Sovereignty
High-level coordination and on-site inspections intensify as Algeria prepares to inaugurate a cornerstone of its post-hydrocarbon industrial strategy.
Algeria is entering the final preparatory phase for the operational launch of its massive Gara Djebilet iron ore project, with senior government ministers now directly overseeing logistics and setting a firm timeline for first production in early 2026. This move represents a critical step in the nation’s long-term plan to diversify its economy beyond oil and gas.
Ministerial Push for a Flawless Inauguration
According to a statement from the Ministry of the Interior and Transport, Minister Saïd Saïoud recently chaired a high-stakes coordination meeting to plan the official entry-into-service ceremony. The focus is on ensuring all organizational, technical, and security aspects are seamless. A dedicated Transport and Logistics Subcommittee has been established to monitor on-site preparations daily.
Minister Saïoud emphasized the readiness of national airports, enhancement of bus fleets, scheduling of flight programs, and the mobilization of all necessary human and material resources. He stressed the need for tight coordination to host a ceremony that “reflects the value of this strategic project” and underscores its status as a major national economic achievement.
On-the-Ground Assessments and Presidential Deadlines
Concurrently, Minister of Public Works Abdelkader Ghellawi and Secretary of State for Mines Karima Bekir Tafer have begun a working visit to the provinces of Tindouf, Béni Abbès, and Béchar. Their mission is to assess progress along the entire remaining route of the project and inspect the pace of ongoing work. This visit is part of what officials describe as “continuous follow-up” to ensure the project is ready by the end of December 2025.
These efforts follow a direct order from President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who last month chaired a Council of Ministers meeting. The President mandated the commencement of iron ore exploitation from Gara Djebilet in the first quarter of 2026. He framed the event as “a strong message for a new Algerian direction that enshrines the principle of economic sovereignty and resource diversification beyond hydrocarbons.”
The Logistics Lifeline: A 950-Kilometer Railway
A cornerstone of the project’s viability is the new 950-kilometer railway line linking the remote Gara Djebilet mine to Béchar. President Tebboune has ordered preparations for the line’s inauguration in January 2026, with operations to commence immediately. The first shipment of ore is destined for the Tosyali iron and steel complex in Oran, a key domestic consumer, via this new rail link starting in 2026.
This infrastructure is not merely a transport route but a symbol of national integration and industrial ambition, designed to turn a geographically isolated resource into an engine for domestic manufacturing and export.
Analysis: Beyond the Ceremony, a Geoeconomic Gambit
The intense ministerial focus on ceremony logistics underscores the project’s symbolic weight. Gara Djebilet is more than a mine; it is a flagship of Algeria’s stated policy of economic sovereignty. For decades, Algeria’s economy has been tethered to hydrocarbon revenues, leaving it vulnerable to global price shocks. The development of Gara Djebilet, home to one of the world’s largest untapped iron ore deposits, is a tangible move to build a competitive extractive and metallurgical industry.
The project’s success hinges on overcoming historical challenges, including the ore’s high phosphate content, which requires specialized processing. The linkage to the Tosyali plant also highlights a strategy of creating vertical integration within Algeria—extracting raw materials and adding value domestically before export.
As the December 2025 readiness deadline approaches, the coordination between transport, interior, public works, and energy ministries reveals a whole-of-government approach. The coming months will test not only Algeria’s project management capabilities but also its ability to translate a long-envisioned strategic pivot into operational reality.
Primary Source: This report is based on information originally reported by El Khabar.